PCB endorses Kaneria's life ban

The PCB has endorsed the life ban on Danish Kaneria after the former Pakistan legspinner lost his appeal on July 2 against the original punishment imposed by the ECB. Because of an agreement between boards affiliated to the ICC, the ECB ban on Kaneria was applicable throughout world cricket and after the endorsement from his home board, effectively means the end of his career.

"PCB has been made aware of the decision of Appeal Panel of the Cricket Discipline Commission of England and Wales Cricket Board which upheld the life ban imposed on Mr Danish Kaneria," the board said in a statement. "Mr Kaneria was duly represented in the proceedings through a legal counsel of his choice and no question with regard to jurisdiction, composition, procedure or fairness of the Appeal Panel was raised by Mr Kaneria's counsel.

"Under ICC Anti-Corruption Code and PCB's Anti-Corruption Code (Article-9) PCB is bound to recognize, respect and enforce the ban in Pakistan, meaning this ban is also being enforced by PCB in Pakistan. Therefore, Mr Danish Kaneria is suspended for life from any involvement in the playing, organization or administration of cricket in any form or manner under the jurisdiction of PCB. PCB hopes Mr. Kaneria will reflect on his past conduct and will now initiate efforts towards redemption and rehabilitation."

Kaneria was banned by the ECB in June 2012 after being found guilty of corruption in the spot-fixing case involving Mervyn Westfield, where he had been "cajoling and pressurising" his Essex team-mate into accepting money to concede a set number of runs in an over during a Pro40 match in 2009. He had been hoping to get the sanction reduced, having earlier lost another appeal against the convictions in April this year.

Kaneria, 32, was Pakistan's most successful Test spinner and the fourth-highest wicket-taker for his country with 261 in 61 Tests at an average of 34.79, putting him behind only Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Imran Khan. He picked up 1024 wickets in 206 first-class games at 26.16, including 307 for Essex. His regular Pakistan domestic team Habib Bank Limited, for which he took 231 wickets, had already parted ways with him last year.

@chakay-pay-chaka - Westfield's testimony is not the only evidence. Westfield's ban is shorter as he wasn't the instigator and pleaded guilty. Ultimately it makes no difference - Westfield's career as a professional cricketer is also over.

@danishsyed88- The ban has been imposed by an ECB tribunal. Their job is to impose a punishment they consider appropriate, not to make comparisons with other cases tried by different bodies.

@Cricket _Man - The ECB disciplinary panel is not a court of law. They had to decide the case on the balance of probabilities. The evidence they took into account was published on this site.

POSTED BY
Cricket_Man
on | July 6, 2013, 7:16 GMT

I fully support and sympathize with Danish Kaneria on this issue (as there is no evidence or I am not aware of any evidence) and so should all the cricketing fans. If there is any proof of Kaneria's malpractices then it should be brought forward. I want PCB to support Amir but if they can help Amir then why not Kaneria? Where is concrete evidence of Kaneria's corruption? I, as a Pakistani, will not be happy to see a cricketer like Danish Kaneria being made an scapegoat.

POSTED BY
Chris_P
on | July 5, 2013, 22:46 GMT

@keptalittlelow. He was found guilty by the ECB, the body he was playing in. He could well have served time behind bars in a law court.

POSTED BY
Chris_P
on | July 5, 2013, 22:43 GMT

@moBlue, Deal with it. He was found guilty with the evidence submitted. Yes, his livelihood is compromised, he should of thought of this BEFORE he undertook this garbage, shouldn't he? I congratulate the PCB for joining in & enforcing the ban. I really hope this is a deferment to all others contemplating it in the future.

POSTED BY
chakay-pay-chaka
on | July 5, 2013, 21:59 GMT

Danish's only option is to challenge this in the High court. As far as the public is concerned, the only "evidence" here is the testimony by Westfield who had already accepted his own guilt - not likely to count for much in court!!

The punishment is also completely out of proportion to the crime - spot fixing in a count fixture- with no consistency at all considering that Westfield has only got a 3yr ban.

POSTED BY
danishsyed88
on | July 5, 2013, 20:33 GMT

I'm not taking sides. But Salman Butt and co., who committed the same crime and that too in an international match, got only a few years ban.. and he gets this??

And what about the fixing in the IPL matches?

POSTED BY
shillingsworth
on | July 5, 2013, 20:24 GMT

@Nawaz Ahmad - Kaneria was warned about his links with a known player in illegal betting. Despite this, he kept in touch with this individual. Furthermore, he arranged for him to meet Westfield and to attend an obscure county match in which Westfield was making a rare appearance. In the period leading up to the match, Kaneria and his betting acquaintance communicated frequently by text and phone. To say there was no evidence is ludicrous. 'Very weak' doesn't cover it either, given that the evidence wasn't disputed by Kaneria and backed up the testimony from Westfield.

POSTED BY
moBlue
on | July 5, 2013, 19:25 GMT

i am from IND. the PCB should have fought for their player! this is injustice, plain and simple. i agree with zafar_abbas' comments. besides, it is not OK to ruin someone's livelihood without any evidence, based on a "he said, she said" case...

don't get me wrong... i don't want corruption in cricket either, but ruining someone's livelihood - to make an example of him? - required solid proof... and the ICC's punishment is not consistent across the board... and the crime in this case does not rise to the level of the punishment, a life ban for a professional cricketer!!!

POSTED BY
shillingsworth
on | July 5, 2013, 18:13 GMT

@Zafar_Abbas - The bans were imposed by two separate bodies - the ICC and the ECB. Just because the ICC were too lenient with Butt and co doesn't mean that the ECB have got it wrong in Kaneria's case. IMHO the ECB have got it absolutely right.

@keptalittlelow - The CPS (not the police as you state) had to decide whether there was the realistic prospect of a successful prosecution for a criminal offence. The ECB Disciplinary Panel had to rule on whether Kaneria had breached the Code of Conduct. The two situations are entirely different. The ECB has published the reasons for the Disciplinary Panel's findings. I suggest you read the transcript before commenting further.

@Yorkshire Pudding - Thanks for your many comments on this and related articles. They have been a welcome oasis of factual common sense amidst much ill informed hysteria!

POSTED BY
Zafar_Abbas
on | July 5, 2013, 16:44 GMT

What is happening here????? this guy had been the first choice, and preferred over Saeed Ajmal, yes, I repeat Saeed Ajmal as a test spinner and PCB hasn't helped him with a penny and LIFE ban?? Spot fixing in a county match and on the other hand, only 5,7 and 10 years bans on players who committed the same sin in an international match and that too a high profile one...

POSTED BY
shillingsworth
on | July 6, 2013, 10:14 GMT

@chakay-pay-chaka - Westfield's testimony is not the only evidence. Westfield's ban is shorter as he wasn't the instigator and pleaded guilty. Ultimately it makes no difference - Westfield's career as a professional cricketer is also over.

@danishsyed88- The ban has been imposed by an ECB tribunal. Their job is to impose a punishment they consider appropriate, not to make comparisons with other cases tried by different bodies.

@Cricket _Man - The ECB disciplinary panel is not a court of law. They had to decide the case on the balance of probabilities. The evidence they took into account was published on this site.

POSTED BY
Cricket_Man
on | July 6, 2013, 7:16 GMT

I fully support and sympathize with Danish Kaneria on this issue (as there is no evidence or I am not aware of any evidence) and so should all the cricketing fans. If there is any proof of Kaneria's malpractices then it should be brought forward. I want PCB to support Amir but if they can help Amir then why not Kaneria? Where is concrete evidence of Kaneria's corruption? I, as a Pakistani, will not be happy to see a cricketer like Danish Kaneria being made an scapegoat.

POSTED BY
Chris_P
on | July 5, 2013, 22:46 GMT

@keptalittlelow. He was found guilty by the ECB, the body he was playing in. He could well have served time behind bars in a law court.

POSTED BY
Chris_P
on | July 5, 2013, 22:43 GMT

@moBlue, Deal with it. He was found guilty with the evidence submitted. Yes, his livelihood is compromised, he should of thought of this BEFORE he undertook this garbage, shouldn't he? I congratulate the PCB for joining in & enforcing the ban. I really hope this is a deferment to all others contemplating it in the future.

POSTED BY
chakay-pay-chaka
on | July 5, 2013, 21:59 GMT

Danish's only option is to challenge this in the High court. As far as the public is concerned, the only "evidence" here is the testimony by Westfield who had already accepted his own guilt - not likely to count for much in court!!

The punishment is also completely out of proportion to the crime - spot fixing in a count fixture- with no consistency at all considering that Westfield has only got a 3yr ban.

POSTED BY
danishsyed88
on | July 5, 2013, 20:33 GMT

I'm not taking sides. But Salman Butt and co., who committed the same crime and that too in an international match, got only a few years ban.. and he gets this??

And what about the fixing in the IPL matches?

POSTED BY
shillingsworth
on | July 5, 2013, 20:24 GMT

@Nawaz Ahmad - Kaneria was warned about his links with a known player in illegal betting. Despite this, he kept in touch with this individual. Furthermore, he arranged for him to meet Westfield and to attend an obscure county match in which Westfield was making a rare appearance. In the period leading up to the match, Kaneria and his betting acquaintance communicated frequently by text and phone. To say there was no evidence is ludicrous. 'Very weak' doesn't cover it either, given that the evidence wasn't disputed by Kaneria and backed up the testimony from Westfield.

POSTED BY
moBlue
on | July 5, 2013, 19:25 GMT

i am from IND. the PCB should have fought for their player! this is injustice, plain and simple. i agree with zafar_abbas' comments. besides, it is not OK to ruin someone's livelihood without any evidence, based on a "he said, she said" case...

don't get me wrong... i don't want corruption in cricket either, but ruining someone's livelihood - to make an example of him? - required solid proof... and the ICC's punishment is not consistent across the board... and the crime in this case does not rise to the level of the punishment, a life ban for a professional cricketer!!!

POSTED BY
shillingsworth
on | July 5, 2013, 18:13 GMT

@Zafar_Abbas - The bans were imposed by two separate bodies - the ICC and the ECB. Just because the ICC were too lenient with Butt and co doesn't mean that the ECB have got it wrong in Kaneria's case. IMHO the ECB have got it absolutely right.

@keptalittlelow - The CPS (not the police as you state) had to decide whether there was the realistic prospect of a successful prosecution for a criminal offence. The ECB Disciplinary Panel had to rule on whether Kaneria had breached the Code of Conduct. The two situations are entirely different. The ECB has published the reasons for the Disciplinary Panel's findings. I suggest you read the transcript before commenting further.

@Yorkshire Pudding - Thanks for your many comments on this and related articles. They have been a welcome oasis of factual common sense amidst much ill informed hysteria!

POSTED BY
Zafar_Abbas
on | July 5, 2013, 16:44 GMT

What is happening here????? this guy had been the first choice, and preferred over Saeed Ajmal, yes, I repeat Saeed Ajmal as a test spinner and PCB hasn't helped him with a penny and LIFE ban?? Spot fixing in a county match and on the other hand, only 5,7 and 10 years bans on players who committed the same sin in an international match and that too a high profile one...

POSTED BY
umairasgharbutt
on | July 5, 2013, 16:35 GMT

felt sorry for him but corruption must not tolerate in cricket now !

POSTED BY
YorkshirePudding
on | July 5, 2013, 16:25 GMT

Posted by on (July 5, 2013, 16:01 GMT) You beleive what you believe, the panel thought differently and hence they banned him from English cricket, its not the ECB's fault that all boards agree if a player is banned by one board hes banned by all others assocaited with the ICC.

POSTED BY
on | July 5, 2013, 16:01 GMT

@YorkshirePudding what you present as evidence by ECB is absolute worth no value moreover on such "we believe" statement's of the panel to ban a person from cricket for life is very wrong. I condemn this as i don't see this penalty or the decision taken against the player as appropriate simply because there's no evidence against him or its "very" weak to be considered as sufficient to "believe" in the narrative.

POSTED BY
YorkshirePudding
on | July 5, 2013, 14:58 GMT

@Ray24, the result of the tribunal and a summary of the evidence was published on cricinfo, search for Kaneria spot fixing. Here is the link http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/569429.html

(cricinfo please publih or at least link the ECB findings that were published in relation to the case)

POSTED BY
Ray24
on | July 5, 2013, 14:25 GMT

Was he tried? I never read any evidence against him, but if there is please make it public.
If he is guily, do ban him, but if he isn't then please keep the trial open.

POSTED BY
keptalittlelow
on | July 5, 2013, 11:16 GMT

I am afraid the following are the only facts the general public knows:
Danish Kaneria was never tried for spot fixing in any court of Law.
Police was never able to submit any proof of his misdeeds and initially he was acquitted.
It's just one man word was deemed enough for imposing a life ban on Danish Kaneria.
PCB did not help Danish Kaneria, all his services were forgotten.
If there are any other proves of his guilt apart from Westfield accusations, they must be made public now. Cricinfo kindly publish.

POSTED BY
YorkshirePudding
on | July 5, 2013, 10:50 GMT

@Captain_Tuk_Tu, the PCB have no choice but to up hold the ban, as they are signatories to the ICC codes.

In terms of Westfield as a professional cricketer he'll never play again in a county side, no one will touch him because of this, and its also unlikely he'll play for a minor county. A league club may allow him to play, but hes not likley to make a living wage out of it.

POSTED BY
Captain_Tuk_Tuk
on | July 5, 2013, 9:54 GMT

What on earth is PCB doing? ECB reduced the banned of a person who also commented same crime and there is no evidence against Danish Kaneria just single man's words are enough for life ban? I don't know what to say but PCB should fight for Kaneria otherwise no reason to fight for Aamir as well.
Why ICC didn't banned spot fixers of IPL? They only ban Pakistani cricketers and umpires for any good reason anyone?
Cricinfo please publish.

No featured comments at the moment.

POSTED BY
Captain_Tuk_Tuk
on | July 5, 2013, 9:54 GMT

What on earth is PCB doing? ECB reduced the banned of a person who also commented same crime and there is no evidence against Danish Kaneria just single man's words are enough for life ban? I don't know what to say but PCB should fight for Kaneria otherwise no reason to fight for Aamir as well.
Why ICC didn't banned spot fixers of IPL? They only ban Pakistani cricketers and umpires for any good reason anyone?
Cricinfo please publish.

POSTED BY
YorkshirePudding
on | July 5, 2013, 10:50 GMT

@Captain_Tuk_Tu, the PCB have no choice but to up hold the ban, as they are signatories to the ICC codes.

In terms of Westfield as a professional cricketer he'll never play again in a county side, no one will touch him because of this, and its also unlikely he'll play for a minor county. A league club may allow him to play, but hes not likley to make a living wage out of it.

POSTED BY
keptalittlelow
on | July 5, 2013, 11:16 GMT

I am afraid the following are the only facts the general public knows:
Danish Kaneria was never tried for spot fixing in any court of Law.
Police was never able to submit any proof of his misdeeds and initially he was acquitted.
It's just one man word was deemed enough for imposing a life ban on Danish Kaneria.
PCB did not help Danish Kaneria, all his services were forgotten.
If there are any other proves of his guilt apart from Westfield accusations, they must be made public now. Cricinfo kindly publish.

POSTED BY
Ray24
on | July 5, 2013, 14:25 GMT

Was he tried? I never read any evidence against him, but if there is please make it public.
If he is guily, do ban him, but if he isn't then please keep the trial open.

POSTED BY
YorkshirePudding
on | July 5, 2013, 14:58 GMT

@Ray24, the result of the tribunal and a summary of the evidence was published on cricinfo, search for Kaneria spot fixing. Here is the link http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/569429.html

(cricinfo please publih or at least link the ECB findings that were published in relation to the case)

POSTED BY
on | July 5, 2013, 16:01 GMT

@YorkshirePudding what you present as evidence by ECB is absolute worth no value moreover on such "we believe" statement's of the panel to ban a person from cricket for life is very wrong. I condemn this as i don't see this penalty or the decision taken against the player as appropriate simply because there's no evidence against him or its "very" weak to be considered as sufficient to "believe" in the narrative.

POSTED BY
YorkshirePudding
on | July 5, 2013, 16:25 GMT

Posted by on (July 5, 2013, 16:01 GMT) You beleive what you believe, the panel thought differently and hence they banned him from English cricket, its not the ECB's fault that all boards agree if a player is banned by one board hes banned by all others assocaited with the ICC.

POSTED BY
umairasgharbutt
on | July 5, 2013, 16:35 GMT

felt sorry for him but corruption must not tolerate in cricket now !

POSTED BY
Zafar_Abbas
on | July 5, 2013, 16:44 GMT

What is happening here????? this guy had been the first choice, and preferred over Saeed Ajmal, yes, I repeat Saeed Ajmal as a test spinner and PCB hasn't helped him with a penny and LIFE ban?? Spot fixing in a county match and on the other hand, only 5,7 and 10 years bans on players who committed the same sin in an international match and that too a high profile one...

POSTED BY
shillingsworth
on | July 5, 2013, 18:13 GMT

@Zafar_Abbas - The bans were imposed by two separate bodies - the ICC and the ECB. Just because the ICC were too lenient with Butt and co doesn't mean that the ECB have got it wrong in Kaneria's case. IMHO the ECB have got it absolutely right.

@keptalittlelow - The CPS (not the police as you state) had to decide whether there was the realistic prospect of a successful prosecution for a criminal offence. The ECB Disciplinary Panel had to rule on whether Kaneria had breached the Code of Conduct. The two situations are entirely different. The ECB has published the reasons for the Disciplinary Panel's findings. I suggest you read the transcript before commenting further.

@Yorkshire Pudding - Thanks for your many comments on this and related articles. They have been a welcome oasis of factual common sense amidst much ill informed hysteria!